1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a workpiece fabric holding device, and more particularly, to a pocket setter having a workpiece fabric holding device.
2. Description of Related Art
There is conventionally proposed a workpiece fabric holding device for the pocket setter. This kind of the workpiece fabric holding device is described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,821,659. In such a device, a patch pocket, as a workpiece fabric, is placed on a gage plate (which provides a pocket shape) arranged on an upper part of a machine table on which the cloth is placed. A holding plate is overlapped with the gage plate through the patch pocket placed thereon. Then, edge portions of the patch pocket are folded to the back side of the gage plate along its contour by moving a plurality of folders arranged on a folder base plate which is provided around the gage plate towards the gage plate. The patch pocket is then moved downward to the cloth with its edge portions being folded, and the folders and holding plate are retracted to their preparatory positions. A guide plate for stitching the patch pocket is placed on the patch pocket and is actuated to depress the patch pocket with the gage plate onto the cloth positioned on the machine table. Then, the gage plate is drawn back to be detached from the patch pocket. Under the condition that the patch pocket and the cloth are fixed on the table by the guide plate, the guide plate is set at the stitching point. Thus, the patch pocket is stitched on the cloth by relatively moving the guide plate and the sewing machine.
Moreover, there is a device for sewing the pocket, as shown in FIG. 6, the top of the folded portion thereof is turned down after being folded by the folder. This kind of workpiece fabric holding device is described, for example, in Japanese Patent Publication No. 62-53602.
The quality of the pocket is controlled by its folding condition. If the folded portion of the pocket is sewn leaving portions sticking out from the contour of the pocket, it looks poor and the product is of an inferior quality.
In the device for sewing the pocket having the folded portion, as shown in FIG. 6, essentially eliminated the portion from sticking out from the contour of the pocket. However, in the case where the material of the patch pocket was thick material or knit, it caused a problem in that the folded portion N, shown in FIG. 6, became bulky or the material being sewn was expanded.
In the pocket setter thus structured, the edge of the patch pocket is automatically folded along the contour of the gage plate and is stitched on the cloth with such the folded condition. At that time, when the angle between the side edge of the gage plate (side edge of the pocket) and the upper edge of the pocket placed on the gage plate is 90 degrees, the folded portion of the patch pocket formed by the folder moved under the gage plate does not stick out from the outer peripheral edge of the pocket. However, the folded patch pocket is then moved downward, onto the cloth seated on the machine table, with the gage plate. As a result, the folded portion is held between the gage plate and the machine table. The gage plate is then drawn back to be detached from between the patch pocket and the cloth seated on the machine table and the patch pocket is depressed by the guide plate for stitching the patch pocket. When the folding of the patch pocket is thus completed, as shown in FIG. 5, the folded portion M has been drawn out in the upper direction (to the side of the retracted position of the gage plate) from the upper edge of the patch pocket P by the retracting movement of the gage plate. Immediately after this retracting movement, the guide plate for stitching the patch pocket moves to the stitching position of the sewing machine head and stitching of the patch pocket starts. When the above mentioned drawing out of the folded portion M happens, the patch pocket has already been covered and depressed by the guide plate in preparation for stitching the patch pocket. Thus, the operator cannot confirm the upper edge of the pocket with his eyes and the stitching operation is started as it is. As a result, many inferior products are produced.